How Will You Stay Organized?

ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN · Aug 13, 2007

Page flags are my best friend, I've tabbed out all my books with chapters & page numbers and what exam that section is for as well as tabbing out all my notes to go with the books

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2007

Get yourself a little date book. Once you get your syballui you can fill in what is due when. You can also put your days off from school in there along with your "outside" life appointments etc. Bring it with you everywhere.

When I started, I went through the paperwork the teachers gave us and jumped right in with the assigned reading. Even if it wasn't 'due' for a week or so I always read ahead of time. I also do that with any homework that might be due. When I get a breather, I grab a book and start doing the upcoming work. That way, should something happen, and I don't have time to do it, its already done :) Its better to be ahead than falling behind.

It will take a few weeks to get into the swing of things. But once you do, organization will be as natural as breathing.

shock-me-sane · Aug 13, 2007

I am horridly unorganized, but do manage to get by rather well. As long as you know when things are due and test dates, you should be okay.

I also suggest having some awesome friends in the program to study with. It makes all the difference for me.

Peachy720 · Aug 13, 2007

Here's a great thread going on right now. Learned a lot from it. :)

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/getting-organized-239828.html

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2007

tanner523. . .i've been in school and taking classes for many years and i think i've finally gotten the class organization down pat, at least, for me. what i do is start off with a 1/2 or 1-inch 3-ring notebook. i may move to a larger one later if necessary. i like the notebooks that have pockets in the front and back so i can stick handouts into them until i can get holes punched into them. i never mix the stuff from one class with stuff from another class in the same notebook. that can end up being dangerous. before classes even begin, i create a semester (or quarter, depending on how the school term is set up) calendar that will go into the very front of the notebook and print it on a heavier cardstock. this calendar is exactly the number of weeks of the term and includes any school holidays and important dates (drop/add dates) that i get from the official school calendar that is printed in my class schedule or college catalog. i also purchase plastic cover sheets at an office supply store. when the class syllabus is passed out on the first day of class, the pages of the syllabus are placed into these cover sheets and put into the notebook behind this calendar. to me, those are the two most important pieces of organizational information for the course. as the instructor(s) goes through the syllabus i pay attention to any dates listed in it and make sure they match to my dates on my calendar. if they don't, my hand shoots up in the air and i ask about it. i highlight with a yellow marker or red ink pen any special test dates or project due dates on the syllabus as well so i can find them easily. what i have learned over the years is that most instructors put instructions into these syllabi to get them in writing to avoid confusion by students later. consider this syllabus a "bible" for the course. you don't want to lose or misplace it.

as the semester starts to take shape i will develop sections for the notebook and make labels for the pages that are used to divide them. something i started doing recently that turned out to be a real lifesaver for a couple of exams was to pre-print (i love using my computer!) a heading on the top of colored pieces of paper with the day and date of the class notes. this distinctly set off anything on that piece of paper(s) as coming from lecture and not the book. oh, you need a three-hole punch to be able to put these kinds of papers into the notebook. i also keep tests and quizzes and any written graded assignments in their own separate section of the notebook, usually at the very back.

i always carried a pouch that had at least two pencils and two pens in it, a calculator, large eraser, several colors of highlighters, a number of different post-it notes, and my computer flash drive. for my recent classes in health information management we worked on the internet a lot and having my flash drive with me allowed to me down load pdf files directly off the internet or to copy and paste information to a open word file that i would just save and copy onto the flash drive for myself. i can later print some of that information out if i want, but i at least have it. i got a rolling book bag so i could haul my books around--don't ruin your back thinking you are young and strong and can lift them as they are learning more about how back injuries occur and microfractures of the vertebrae occur without our even having symptoms.

some of my 3-ring notebooks from my original adn program were 3 inches thick for each class. i think some got as large as 4 inches for my bsn classes because of all the handouts we were getting. i don't think it's a good idea to separate out anything into different notebooks for any class unless it is absolutely necessary since your grade is usually based on everything that goes on in the class including the lab portion. even though we had class work and lab, there were often questions on our class tests that included stuff from both areas.

finally, i just want to say that organization is a personal thing. a lot of it has to do with your own personal style. anything that is going to work for you is ok. good luck as you start your school career!

tanner523 · Aug 13, 2007

Thanks everyone for your responses....Daytonite, that post was awesome! I am going to print it and put in my bag so I can started right away! :wink2:

StudentNurseAbby · Aug 13, 2007

Our program really helps us. I use one binder for nursing, it's big but at least I have everything there in one place. I use page flags for my books, works like a charm.

staceym · May 2, 2012

bump for new Fall 2012 nursing students